David reynolds



tnihal tatw timi otljlne.

-Lttcrs 'Patent No. 97,443, datecl November 30, 1869.

IMPROVD HOLDER FOR CHECK-REINS.

The Sphedule ree'ed to in these Letters Patent and making part ofthe' same.

To all whom it 'may concc'n:

Be it known that I, DAVID RnYNoLDs, of Rockford, in the county of Winnebago, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Holdcrs for Check-Items, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.v

The object of my invention is to provide a 'simple and cfficient device, whereby the' check-reins of a horse may be -s lackened at pleasure by the driver, without lcaving his seat, thus enabling its strain to he relaxed, to allow the animal 'to lower his head, when desired for waterlng or other purposes; to which ends, v i

My improvements consist in a novel combination of a pivoted lever with an adjustable arm, secured to a standard upon'the saddle, the said lever carrying a hook, for the attachm'ent of the check-rein, and adjustablc terrets, through which the (hiring-lines pass, by which mode of construction, when the' lever is raised, by means' of the' driving-lines, until the line ofdraught of'the checkrein is above its point of connection toV` the beari'ng-arm, it (the lever) will be swnng forward, and the check-reiu correspondingly relaxed` by-the horse, in lowering his head.

lu the accompanying drawiugs, which show a couvenieut arrangement o f parts for carrying out the objects of my invention, my' improvements are represeuted as applied to single driving-harness of the ordinary description, but they are equally applicable to double harness.

Figure l is a view in perspective of my improved device, applied t'o a set of single harness, the parts being in the positions they occupy when the horses head is checked up for driving;

' Figure 2, a similar view of the same, when the horsels head is lowered;

Figure 3, a similarr view of the same, detached from the 'haruess; and i Figure 4, a view in elevation. of the. level' which carries the cheek-rein hook and terrets.

A double or bifurcatcd bearing-arm, B, is secured, at its rear end, by the bolt b, to a standard, c, upon a plate, O, which, in turn, is lirmly fastened to the sad'- dle G, or the standard may be attachedlirectly to the saddle, if prefcrredi The arxn B is inclined forward and upward, as shown in the drawings, and may have its position regulatcd, by means of the bolt, so as to stand at a greater or less angle, as required, for the pnrpose of adjustiug it by relation to the horseis head, and maintaluing its forward end above the line of dranght of the chcck-rein.

A lever, A, is pivotcd, by a pin or bolt, b', to the forward end of the arm 15, and extends rearward, carrying a hook, a, near the real' end, to which the check-rein l'` is connected, the arm B being so adjusted that the line of draught of the check-rein is below the centre of the pin or bolt b', therehy holding the levcr A in position, and keeping thecheckrein tight, and the horsels head elevated, as shown in fig. 1.

,The lever A terminates in a screw-oolt, a', upon which the terrets I), through which the main drivinglines pass, are adjustable, so as to be raised or lowered, to suit the position of the driver, and are 'made fast, as desired, by a nut: o

A notch or recess, ai, is formed in thev lower side of the level' A, to enable the same to clear the bolt b, when in the positionl shown in figs. 1 and 3.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The parts being in the position shown by fig. 1, and the h'eight of the. standard and augle of the bearing-arm being such that the line of draught on the check-rein shall be below the Vcentre of the bolt b', it will be seen that the strain of the horse upon the check-rein tends to hold the level' firmly in position, and keepsthe eheck-rein tight, and until the line'of dra-ught of the check-adu is elevated above the centre of the bolt b', the lever cannot be raised by the horse, andhas no tendeucy to leave its position, being kept thereinby its own gravity.

`When it is desired to slacken the check rein, for the purpose of vwatering'or feeding-the horse, qc., the driver raises the. driviug-lines E, thereby raising the line of .draught of the check-rein above the centre of the bolt b', and perlnitting the horse to lower his head, by swinging the lever forward upon the bolt.

The terrets then being in an inverted position, the driving-lines make a half hitch in them, which prevents them from drawing through, and cnables the driver to tighten' the =check rein at pleasure, by bringing the lever back to its original position.

A stop'liiay-begplaced upon the beaiing-arm, to limit the range `offer'iovement of the lever, if` deemed necessary.

It will be seen that my improvement is of simple construction and-operation, and can be readily applied to harness of the ordinary construction. o

Fordouble harness, it is only necessary to use a single terret on each set of harness, and a single reiu will operate the device equally well.

'I do not confine `myself to the precise construction and attachment ,of the'parts herein described, as it is obvious that the same may be modified invarious ways, without-afiecting the principle of myinvention. i

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- I. A lever, supportiug the terret-bar, when pivoted 'above the line of the dra-ught of the check-rein, and

,operated by means of the driviug-rein', in the manner described,lfor the purpose set forth.

2. The device described, 'consisting of the lever A, bearing-arm B, standard c, and terret-bar D, when combined as described, for the purpose set forth.

In test-imouy whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

DAVID REYNOLDS.

Witnesses:

G. W. FORD, E. A. Nici-lots. 

